Herta Space Station.
Ruan Mei, Screwllum, and Herta had temporarily set aside their tasks to watch the video.
When the segment introducing Nous, the Erudition Aeon, played, they naturally noticed the Morse code in the background music.
Ruan Mei tilted her head slightly, listening intently.
Soon, she deciphered the Morse code as the decimal number 42.
Herta raised an eyebrow. "42?"
"Why this number again? What's so special about it?"
Ruan Mei explained, "In a certain world... it is considered the 'Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything.'"
Herta tilted her head. "You believe in such nonsense?"
Ruan Mei neither confirmed nor denied it. "But it's worth noting that 42 is also 101010 in binary. In the Xianzhou's 64 Hexagrams, it represents '[Wei]'—the hexagram symbolizing 'things yet unfinished, still progressing forward.'"
"If applied to Nous, the cosmic supercomputer, '[Wei]' represents the infinite, inexhaustible truths of the universe—impossible to fully calculate."
Herta scoffed. "Oh, so the answer is infinity? Then nothing has meaning."
"From that perspective, the question itself is a form of [Nihility]."
[Nihility]
[IX]
[All things resist nothingness, all things rush toward nothingness, all things succumb to...]
The "PV" continued, now watched by countless players across the universe.
After Yaoshi, it was IX's turn.
The tone shifted dramatically!
A planet moved within a band of purple light, while surrounding asteroids appeared to be in a perpetual state of descent.
Yet this was merely a glimpse of the celestial body's orbit.
"Cover your eyes, they say, lest the encroaching darkness unsettle your spirit. For it will weigh your soul like lead and numb your feet."
The celestial body resembled an irregular mass of viscous fluid, yet its form was woven from the very fabric of the cosmos.
A pair of mournful "eyes" opened upon its surface.
This was IX, the Nihility Aeon.
The live comments didn't dwindle—instead, they surged.
"The Slacker Aeon has arrived!"
"Slack off, for nothing matters anyway."
"As a devout follower of Nihility, I shall slack first!"
"IX really has eyes! It looks so... pitiful."
"Wait, why does it seem kinda cute?"
"Looks like a stellar-sized jelly..."
Then, the music swelled dramatically.
Players immediately straightened up in reverence upon seeing the next name.
[Preservation]
[Qlipoth]
"Philosophers gaze upon the stars, seeking civilization's ultimate purpose—'Build the Wall.' The resounding echo fills their minds: 'Build the Wall.'"
The towering figure that appeared had been glimpsed before in the story—when the Trailblazer clashed with Cocolia.
It had cast a glance... and even struck down a hammer.
Thus began a new Amber Era.
"Push open the solemn gates, they say, take up the lapis lazuli tablet. Read aloud, recognize what forged the bricks, know who laid the foundation."
The Reverie Hotel lobby.
Everyone in the lounge area stood up—whether corporate employees or high-ranking executives.
Their eyes burned with fervor.
Some even shouted the company's slogan in excitement!
"The Amber Lord!"
"Everything for the Amber Lord!"
"Praise the Amber Lord!"
"Preservation... my god!!"
"Who's the voice in the background? They've narrated six Aeons already!"
"Could it be... another Aeon?"
At the back, near the divination booth, Black Swan's expression grew increasingly grave.
This "PV" revealed secrets of multiple Aeons...
And Yu Ling had chosen her to introduce them.
She had only spoken of allegories related to the [Stars]!
But paired with these visuals...
It felt as though she had unraveled the mysteries of all Aeons!
Black Swan even felt the urge to pack up her booth and flee before anyone noticed.
But the video wasn't over yet.
The next Aeon was...
[Harmony]
[Xipe]
"Behold, a perfect home—no sorrow, no rebellion. No longing, no nostalgia. How enviable."
"Then, they say, O you who have reached the end, come to the all-embracing paradise! Join the grand hymns and feasts, listen to the beating of billions upon billions of hearts, and let them embrace you—"
As these words were spoken, another voice overlapped in the background.
Xipe's form materialized in the cosmos—its body akin to the depths of space, its skin a mosaic of puzzle pieces.
A magnificent stellar ring adorned its head, and it bore three faces.
The one currently facing forward was serene, eyes closed in tranquility.
This time, the corporate employees sat down—but the hotel staff and Family attendants all stood up!
"Ahhh!!"
"It's here... it's here!"
"The Triple-Faced Mother!"
"Praise the hymns of the Thousand-Faced God!"
"We shall share all suffering and joy!"
"I joined the Family willingly!"
"This is the beauty of Harmony! To glimpse the Mother's visage—I can die without regrets!"
Black Swan watched as the hotel lobby, usually a place of decorum and quiet harmony, transformed into what seemed like a revivalist gathering.
The corporate employees' fervor hadn't faded, and the Family members were equally impassioned.
The line between guest and host blurred—everyone became devout worshippers, reveling in the appearance of their respective Aeons.
Black Swan felt her situation growing more perilous...
Enough...
Really, enough.
Seven Aeons had already been covered!
She was starting to worry—if this continued, might it draw the gaze of one or more Aeons?!
Then, the screen burst into a shower of confetti and light.
Amidst the celebration, laughing masks appeared—Aha, the Aeon of Elation.
The livestream chat exploded.
"The Troll God!"
"Praise our Lord Aha!"
"Aha has no dignity."
"Join the Elation cult, thank you~!"
"Hail the Aeon of Elation, praise the Everjoyful Lord!"
"Trolls rejoice!"
After Aha, two words appeared:
[Voracity]
Two Aeons corresponded to the allegory:
"See the court jester's sweet words (pleasure-seeking), the sailor's drunken stupor (gluttony)..."
This segment was densely annotated, each line layered with symbolism impossible to unpack quickly.
"Hear the infant's laughter in the mirror (conclusion), the tide (wings) in dreams (awareness), the crumbling scales (rotation), welcome the formless heir (retrogressor)."
After [Voracity] came [Beauty], [Finality], [Propagation], [Mystery], [Equilibrium], and again [Finality].
The repetition of [Finality] was due to the rapidly shifting, chaotic visuals—names and fleeting images flashing by.
Black Swan noticed this detail.
Enough!
More than enough!
Was this a census of the cosmos's pantheon?!
"In the end, measure the world with your body."
As these words rang out, another Aeon appeared.
A crystalline figure with blurred features, wearing a crown draped with beaded curtains.
This time—no explanation, no text.
Yet Black Swan instantly recognized it.
This was the Aeon of her own Path—
Fuli, the Aeon of Remembrance!
"Commit all this to memory."
"They say, this is the path you must walk—"
As the words faded, the Astral Express streaked past Fuli!
"Akivili (Trailblazer), set forth (connect the worlds) once more, Akivili (Trailblazer)!"
The train traversed the cosmos, golden trails of light following in its wake.
But the most explosive revelation lay in the annotated text accompanying the allegory.
...
Players immediately caught it.
"Holy—this is huge!"
"The Trailblazer and Akivili are connected?!"
"Is Stelle actually Akivili's reincarnation?!"
"This is insane!"
"Who's speaking?! Can't they just say it clearly?!"
...
Black Swan's mind reeled.
Those were Yu Ling's annotations, not mine!
How would I know the relationship between the Trailblazer and Akivili?!
I've never even met the Trailblazer!
Not even a true Aeon could definitively claim Akivili was alive—or that they had reincarnated as the Trailblazer!
Yet the video wasn't over.
The scene shifted to a divination room.
"Countless meteors streak across tonight's sky. If you choose the right one..."
The person flipping through a book at the table was—
Black Swan herself!
From earlier details, she knew the narrator was her.
But she hadn't expected the video to reveal her face at the end!
It was a blatant declaration:
"That's right! I'm the one who revealed the Aeons' secrets!"
"Come to me if you want to know more."
Black Swan felt no pride at being featured in Yu Ling's video—only dread.
This... was a public execution!
To be continued…
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